An operating apparatus outputting a signal showing a position of an operating member (e.g., a handle part of a joy-stick) moved by an operation of a user is conventionally used in various field. When a display controller of an apparatus such as navigation apparatuses receives an output signal from the operating apparatus, the display controller uses the output signal for moving a pointer in an image on an image display unit.
In addition, an operating apparatus proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2001-84875 (also published as a patent document U.S. Pat. No. 6,593,667) to reduce necessity to watch the pointer in the image for operation applies a reactive force (a force in an opposite direction to the operation of the operating member by the user) or a thrust force (a force in the same direction of the operation of the operating member by the user) to the operating member.
However, for example, the operating apparatus may be operated by a user from a driver's seat side or from a navigator's seat side depending on a situation. Further, the same user may apply an operation force differently depending on a physical condition of the day, a fatigue or the like. A technique which a user can set an intensity of the reactive force for operating the operating member is proposed in Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2003-260949 (also published as a patent document U.S. Pat. No. 6,885,925) to cope with the change of the user condition .
However, the operation for setting the intensity of the reactive force may cause burdens for the user.